Meta Platforms has agreed to pay $1.4 billion to Texas to resolve the state’s lawsuit accusing the Facebook parent of illegally using facial-recognition technology to collect biometric data of millions of Texans without their consent.
This landmark settlement, announced by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, is the largest ever obtained from a single state action. The settlement also surpasses the previous record of $390 million secured by 40 states from Google in 2022.
The lawsuit, filed in February 2022, alleged that Meta violated Texas laws by using facial recognition software for its “Tag Suggestions” feature, which identified and tagged individuals in photos uploaded to Facebook. Meta activated this feature for all Texas users without informing them or obtaining the necessary consent, thus breaching the “Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier” Act (CUBI).
“This historic settlement demonstrates our commitment to standing up to the world’s biggest technology companies and holding them accountable for breaking the law and violating Texans’ privacy rights,” said Paxton. The agreement requires Meta to pay the $1.4 billion over five years, reinforcing Texas’s dedication to protecting its residents’ privacy rights.
